Leather care...how I do it.

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My car got the weekly detail today, and I chose to fully clean the seats this week. Here is how I do it.

I start off by mixing Woolite delicates with warm water in a concentration of anywhere from 1:6 to 1:10 (Woolite:water). You can vary the mixture as needed for more or less cleaning power.


Then apply directly to your brush of choice. I choose to use the $1 brushes available at Walmart, they are soft enough not to damage the leather coating and firm enough to get into the graining. Brushes are certainly the way to go when it comes to cleaning coated leather, I find that cloths just down allow you get down into the graining. Use a circular motion to agitate the leather then wipe up the excess with a clean cotton cloth.


I clean the front seats every 4-5 weeks or so to remove any body oils and dirt that falls into the cracks. This is before cleaning.


The leather should have a nice matte finish after cleaning.


Once the leather has been cleaned, I apply Aerospace 303. I chose this product as it is an excellent UV ray inhibitor and also helps prevent dye transfer. This is before 303 application...


And after. It does give off some sheen, but not glossy.


Also cleaned the steering wheel. I hate it when I see leather wrapped steering wheels that are so shiny from grease / lotion etc. Yuck!



The brush comes in handy when cleaning various crevices as well.


All done!
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Is that shiny, clear floormat protecting the normal ones?


Yes. Its much easy to clean than scrubbing carpet. Just brush off once a week.
 
Ahh gotcha. Is the dirty towel by the steering wheel all from cleaning the wheel or from all the seats, trim etc...? I thought my steering wheel was dirty but the towel didn't look too bad afterwards. Anyway nice job.
 
Or, you know, buy one of the hundred products made to actually prolong the life of leather. Woolite is definitely not designed for leather or car seats.
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Ahh gotcha. Is the dirty towel by the steering wheel all from cleaning the wheel or from all the seats, trim etc...? I thought my steering wheel was dirty but the towel didn't look too bad afterwards. Anyway nice job.


No, its just a tan towel. I keep it in the car for various purposes. Today I used it to cover the instrument cluster since cleaning the steering wheel flings suds everywhere.
 
Originally Posted By: horse123
Or, you know, buy one of the hundred products made to actually prolong the life of leather. Woolite is definitely not designed for leather or car seats.


Most modern automotive leathers are coated in vinyl. Woolite delicates is very gentle, especially when diluted with water. It is also less expensive than a bottle of Lexol cleaner.
 
Plus Cadillac used to state in the owner's manual to clean the leather with a Woolite/water mixture. You can always use distilled water with the Woolite.
 
Looks good! I'll try this method out on the Avalon.

Have you thought of Husky Liners for the floors? I've got a set for my Sonata and absolutely love them. I put a set in my grandparent's Trailblazer and CR-V and my aunt's Avalon. They fit great and are very easy to clean. Amazing what your feet will drag in.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Looks good! I'll try this method out on the Avalon.

Have you thought of Husky Liners for the floors? I've got a set for my Sonata and absolutely love them. I put a set in my grandparent's Trailblazer and CR-V and my aunt's Avalon. They fit great and are very easy to clean. Amazing what your feet will drag in.


If those are the form fitting ones I wouldn't like them, they are too hard to remove. I am very careful not to track anything in so clean up is quick and easy. The cheap mats I have in there now slide out with ease. I do agree with you though, those form fitting liners do an excellent job at keeping the carpet clean.
 
Originally Posted By: carviewsonic
Looks like new!


Thanks, I wish they did. There are more wrinkles and hairline cracks in the topcoat than I'd like to see.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Looks good! I'll try this method out on the Avalon.

Have you thought of Husky Liners for the floors? I've got a set for my Sonata and absolutely love them. I put a set in my grandparent's Trailblazer and CR-V and my aunt's Avalon. They fit great and are very easy to clean. Amazing what your feet will drag in.


If those are the form fitting ones I wouldn't like them, they are too hard to remove. I am very careful not to track anything in so clean up is quick and easy. The cheap mats I have in there now slide out with ease. I do agree with you though, those form fitting liners do an excellent job at keeping the carpet clean.
Of the 4 cars I've put them in the last 2 months the only one that isn't a total breeze to take them in and out is the CR-V, but even that takes 6-7 seconds to remove one instead of 3-4. About $83 for the pair up front. $135 for my full set on my car.
 
Dude, you are OCD! Great work though
thumbsup2.gif


I will 2nd the Husky liners or equivalent. They make a huge difference.
 
Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
It looks new, awesome job.

Question, can anything other than woolite be used? Similar replacement? Thanks


You could use Lexol leather cleaner (orange bottle). I wouldn't use any other laundry detergent other than Woolite delicates as it is a very mild product.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Dude, you are OCD! Great work though
thumbsup2.gif


I will 2nd the Husky liners or equivalent. They make a huge difference.


I know I am, no shame!
crazy.gif
One of my co-workers remarked last night, "how do you keep your car so clean? Do you wash it every day?".
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Looks great!! Leather will way outlast cloth if properly taken care of.


Not all cars. And that may be due to the quality of the leather or cloth used. In the 4th gen F bodies (1998-2002) the cloth seats have typically far outlasted the leather ones no matter the level of cleaning or care provided. The leather often starts showing tears and worn out spots by 60K-80K miles. The cloth can go 50-75% longer. The cloth is far more resistant to wear and tearing....it just happens to be a lot harder to keep stain free vs. leather. The cloth seats in my '98 Z28 had no rips or worn spots at 115K miles. That would be very rare for a leather seat car.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Looks great!! Leather will way outlast cloth if properly taken care of.


Not all cars. And that may be due to the quality of the leather or cloth used. In the 4th gen F bodies (1998-2002) the cloth seats have typically far outlasted the leather ones no matter the level of cleaning or care provided. The leather often starts showing tears and worn out spots by 60K-80K miles. The cloth can go 50-75% longer. The cloth is far more resistant to wear and tearing....it just happens to be a lot harder to keep stain free vs. leather. The cloth seats in my '98 Z28 had no rips or worn spots at 115K miles. That would be very rare for a leather seat car.


I agree. This is a common misconception. Unless it is top grain leather, it will likely be spent before cloth would.
 
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